shewhomust | The road to le Mont Dore

When we left Les Genêts Fleuris, Joël asked us where we were going next. "Le Mont Dore? Easy, you can do it in half an hour." But we took all day, stopping to admire the scenery, as we left behind the chain of smooth-flanked conical volcanoes and drove into a landscape of dramatic rocky outcrops, stopping to admire each new perspective.

At the urging of my very elderly Michelin Green Guide, we visited the church in Orcival. The village nestles in the valley, dominated by a church, in the local volcanic stone, which is apparently a masterpiece of romanesque art, but since it was wrapped for renovation, we missed out on the external view. Inside the grey stone lpermitted the carving of some fine capitals, mostly of foliage, but including one of Dives - of Dives and Lazarus - conveniently positioned near enough to the door for me to take a rather shaky photo (the door is quite splendid, too) and a twelfth century madonna who was particularly venerated by prisoners. A large glass case displayed some of the offerings that had been given to her over the years: iron shackles, vestments, a mirador (this last was a model of a watchtower).

In the afternoon we walked round the Lac Servière, a crater lake. An information panel in the car park explained its formation, all magma, steam and explosions - and the result of all this drama was a tranquil disk, its mirror surface barely interrupted by a few anglers. There weren't even any ducks to disturb the peace. For most of its circumference, the lake was bordered by forest, but at the far side a grassy area was fenced off, with ladder stiles to cross the fence on either side. Next to each stile, a helpful notice explained "Franchissement" as if we would not otherwise have known what it was for.

And on into Le Mont Dore, sprawled along the valley bottom, half spa town and half winter sports center, where we found a hotel offering the twin pleasures of wi-fi and swimming pool.